creating an academically-supported internship program at …...“creating an academically-supported...

ADVISING & CAREER SERVICES

Creating an Academically-Supported

Internship Program at PSU

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Why Internships? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

II. Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

III. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

IV. Overview of Current PSU Internship Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

V. PSU Quantitative Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

VI. Employer Engagement & Internships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

VII. Comparator Institution Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

VIII. Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

IX. Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Research Report ∙ November 23, 2015

Project Team:

INTERNSHIP ADVISER &

PROJECT LEAD, ACS

Jeanne Ellis

EMPLOYER RELATIONS COORDINATOR

& PROJECT MANAGER, ACS

Ann Mestrovich

ACADEMIC & CAREER ADVISER, ACS

Heidi Yu

ACADEMIC & CAREER ADVISER, ACS

Leena Shrestha

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, ACS

Greg Flores

INTERNSHIPSInternships are typically one-time work or service experiences related to a student’s major or career goal. The internship plan generally involves a student working in a professional setting under the supervision and monitoring of practicing professionals. Internships can be paid or unpaid and the student may or may not receive academic credit for performing the internship.

PRACTICAA practicum is generally a one-time work or service experience done by a student as part of an academic class and one that may help a student build hours toward degree requirements or application to an higher level academic program. Some practica offer pay, but many do not. Almost all are done for academic credit.

COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONCooperative education provides students with multiple periods of work in which the work is related to the student’s major or career goal. The typical program plan is for a student to alternate terms in full-time classroom study with the terms of full-time, discipline-related employment.

EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

Fac

ult

y-le

d R

esea

rch

W

ork

/Stu

dy

Co

-op

s, P

ract

ica,

and

In

tern

ship

s

Stu

dy

Ab

road

Ser

vice

Lea

rnin

g

Stu

den

t L

ead

ersh

ip

Volu

nte

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g

PSU

“Creating an Academically-Supported Internship Program at PSU” Final Report

I. Why Internships? This project originated from an Advising & Career Services (ACS) retreat held January 2015, where staff brainstormed ideas on initiatives that the Office of Academic Affairs could champion on campus. The need for greater academic support for students participating in internships was determined to be a high priority, and from this determination a project team was formed. The team, made up of current ACS staff including an Internship Adviser, Academic and Career Advisers, and an Employer Relations Coordinator, set forth to conduct research on current internship practices and to make recommendations for enhanced programming.

This report, which includes our programming recommendations, was submitted to Sukhwant Jhaj, Vice Provost for Academic Innovation & Student Success and is congruent with the University’s commitment to enhancing internship opportunities as indicated in the recently adopted Strategic Plan (see Initiative #3: Enhance Internship Opportunities under Strategic Goal #3: Extend Our Leadership in Community Engagement). It is this team’s belief that improved and increased academic support for internships will manifest in strengthened partnerships and the expansion of new community-based learning opportunities. There is now greater potential to solidify a framework by which all PSU students can complete experiential learning opportunities that complement their fields of study and their interests.

II. Acknowledgements

This project has been a collective effort and many campus colleagues have participated in our internship stakeholder interviews. Some of these colleagues have agreed to continue to provide leadership on this topic by joining PSU’s Internship Advisory Committee, created concurrent to this project to further inform and implement our work around academically-supported internships. The project team wishes to thank the following for the support and expertise they provided to us: *indicates Internship Advisory Committee Member

Advising & Career Services Mary Vance, Career Counselor & Sustainability Internship Program Manager *

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Mike Bartlett, Associate Professor, Biology Scott Broussard, Academic Adviser, Psychology* Veronica Dujon, Associate Dean, Humanities and Social Sciences Martha Dyson, Academic Adviser Suzanne Estes, Associate Professor, Biology Roxanne James, Academic Adviser, English* Anthony Lewis, Academic Adviser* Drake Mitchell, Associate Dean, Natural Sciences Jon Rousseau, Academic Adviser*

1

http://www.pdx.edu/president/sites/www.pdx.edu.president/files/Strategic%20Plan%20Final%20%20%281%29.pdf

http://www.pdx.edu/president/sites/www.pdx.edu.president/files/SP%20Public%20Outreach%20Draft%20%20%281%29.pdf













College of Urban & Public Affairs Richard Clucas, Professor, Political Science* Danielle McGurrin, Associate Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice* Jane Mercer, Academic Adviser/Internship Coordinator, Community Health* Belinda Zeidler, Faculty/Academic Adviser, Community Health*

Honors Ann Marie Fallon, Former Director

Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science Frank Goovaerts, Director of Student Career Success* Warren Harrison, Professor, Computer Science & Director, PCEP Internship Program*

School of Business Administration Talya Bauer, Professor, Management & ReThink #59 Project Lead: SBA Online

Internship Mini-MOOC) Becky Einolf, Career and Academic Adviser* Lauren Simon, Assistant Professor, Human Resources & Faculty for reTHINK #59 (SBA

Online Internship Mini-MOOC)*

In addition, the project team would like to thank those whose leadership, invaluable insights, and expertise around experiential education and internships helped inform this report: Research Assistant Laura Ehrlich for her many important contributions to the research, data gathering and graphic articulation of the data; Christina White, BI Support Coordinator for facilitating the creation of Datamaster reports on credit-bearing internships; OAA Project Manager Brandi Bergkvist for the support and guidance she provided to the team as we navigated the research methodology; and our many colleagues at our peer institutions who generously shared their experiences and perspectives about their own internship programming. Their input was instrumental in forming this report’s final recommendations.

Project Objectives: Inventory current PSU internship practices:

Identify campus internship stakeholders and engage them in dialogue about practices, challenges, aspirations, and goals

Research comparator institutions’ internship practices Learn about the barriers and challenges that keep students from participating in

internships and other forms of experiential learning while at PSU Gather qualitative data about what students want and need from internship

programming

Discover existing scalable internship practices at PSU and practices from comparator institutions that may be implemented more widely at PSU

Propose a new institutional internship programming structure and the roles of relevant stakeholders

Make recommendations for various enhancements to PSU’s existing programming

2


“I have had the opportunity to acquire

new knowledge and skills which I hope

will serve me well in the progression of

my career.” - Student

“It taught me how it really is in the ‘real

world.’ It showed me how an office

setting is as well, and where a graphic

design degree can take me.” - Student

III. Introduction This report serves to provide an overview of the current decentralized model of internship programming at PSU, and to make informed recommendations for improved program consistency, early preparation for, and greater access to academically-supported internships1 campus-wide. It is our belief that if PSU expands access to and support for internships and experiential learning, it will significantly elevate student success. Through our research we have learned that by preparing students to engage in real-world learning early in their academic career and by providing guided reflection, professional growth, and skills development, they are more resilient and better prepared to transition to life beyond college. In our day-to-day work in Advising & Career Services (ACS), we see that academically-supported internships foster mutually beneficial partnerships involving students, faculty, and the greater community. We hear from students who are participating in guided practical experiences that they are more engaged and find greater purpose in their academic work. We hear about the benefits they gain from faculty mentorship as they apply academic theory learned in the classroom to real-world practice. We have come to know that faculty-student engagement allows for skills development, self-reflection, and clarification of career goals. Additionally, we see how the University and the community both benefit through strengthened relationships as students bring fresh perspectives to community partners on professional practices and demonstrate their eagerness to take on real-world challenges related to their academic work.

Research Methodology Our first objective was to conduct comprehensive research on current internship programming at PSU. In order to achieve this, it was necessary for the project team to gain greater insight into the level of academic internship engagement and support that currently exists at PSU.

Jeanne Ellis, Internship Adviser and Project Lead, provided an institutional overview and snapshots of department-level engagement through qualitative and quantitative data (see section III), which allowed the team to establish a baseline understanding of campus-wide engagement and gaps or challenges in providing service to students. The overview of current institutional internship practices indicates that support provided to students varies across academic departments. This variation appears to be most evident in departments within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) primarily because CLAS represents a large proportion of the PSU student body. Although we included all PSU Schools 1 Academically-supported internships are defined as those that are guided by faculty (or designated professional staff) and may be eligible for academic credit through major-related coursework or individual faculty sponsorship.

“Students who have internships that apply what they learn in the classroom are more than twice as likely to feel that college has prepared them well for life after graduation.” (“Meaningful Internships a

Critical Factor for Student Satisfaction.” EAB Briefing, November 17, 2014)

3


and Colleges in our research, we believe that strengthening CLAS's ability to provide academic internship support may significantly strengthen the entire University’s ability to institute standardized best practices around academically-supported internship opportunities. The quantitative data gathered at this stage through Datamaster (see section III) on each academic department’s credit By Arrangement2 registrations includes required internships, optional credit-bearing internships, and some practicum data. Given the decentralized nature of internship programming, Datamaster was the most accessible method available to collect this information. However, it must be noted that this data may not be exact. It is meant to be used as a “snapshot” of student internship engagement in Schools, Colleges and academic departments. Subsequent to reviewing the overview of current practices and engagement on campus, the project team reached out to several PSU internship stakeholders to get first-hand assessments and additional qualitative data to inform our proposal. We created a questionnaire (Appendix A) and scheduled a series of individual interviews with 15 PSU internship stakeholders (Appendix B). The faculty, associate deans, and professional advising staff interviewed were from various academic departments, with a majority of interviewees from CLAS. These stakeholder interviews allowed us to gather current qualitative data on faculty and student engagement around internships and also learn about the goals and aspirations of the individuals who work directly on internship programming within their departments. The data gathered from our PSU stakeholder interviews was used in an empathy mapping exercise with our project team to develop a list of insights (Appendix C) about current practices, and the goals and aspirations of our stakeholders relative to future internship programming. The project team has formed an Internship Advisory Committee (“IAC”) (Appendix D) comprised of some of the participating stakeholders and others who demonstrated enthusiastic interest in our work on this project. Later in our project work we were able to involve stakeholders and members of the IAC in an empathy mapping exercise using data gathered from comparator institution research on best practices. For additional information on this exercise and to review the outcomes see section V of this report.

2 By arrangement is the process by which students earn academic credit through internship courses or individual faculty sponsorship.

4


“The stipend that came with this internship allowed

me to cover a portion of my tuition so that I could

focus on a relevant internship and my studies

rather than getting a part-time job in an unrelated

field.” - Student

IV. Overview of Current PSU Internship Practices Internship Structure and Policy

PSU has a decentralized approach to internships where some academic departments require internships, fieldwork, and practicums as part of their curriculum, and other departments (a majority) view internships as optional.

The ratio of worked internship hours relative to earned academic credit is not

standardized with the range varying from 30-45 work hours being equivalent to one academic credit hour.

Affiliation Agreements between community partners and academic departments are

negotiated through PSU Contracts & Procurement on a case-by-case basis, which in some cases may take several weeks and at times may delay a student’s progress toward their experiential learning opportunity.

Student Support for Optional Internships

Academic credit (By Arrangement) may be earned for optional internships but only if the student either personally engages a faculty sponsor or designated professional staff to guide their individual experience OR is enrolled in an internships course (currently offered in few academic departments). Optional internships may also be unguided, where no credit is earned and the student navigates the internship without mentorship or guided reflection activities from faculty or professional staff.

Many departments or programs where internships are not required encourage students

to participate in internships and may offer limited faculty sponsorship (for credit); others may encourage students but may not offer support or academic (for-credit) sponsorship.

ACS provides support to students through advising on relevant internship options,

networking with professionals and alumni, navigating an internship search, preparation of requisite application materials, interview preparation and practice, and employer partnership development.

ACS provides support to faculty who may need additional information or supporting

documents for supervising students in credit-bearing internships, and also to employer partners where resources and guidance on best practices for hosting interns is requested.

Challenges and Barriers to Student Access

Because of financial constraints, work-life balance, and family responsibilities, many students do not participate in optional internships, particularly if they are unpaid or students cannot earn academic credit. (Appendix E)

5


“It seems like a lot of trouble to have to find a

faculty member to supervise (internships for

academic credit). #1) it feels like we are

bothering faculty members since it adds on

to their workload and #2) the system now is

quite complex.” - Student in SBA internship course

Students seeking academic credit for internships often have difficulty engaging faculty or designated professional staff to sponsor and guide their experiences, which often results in students foregoing the internship experience entirely or navigating it on their own without academic guidance.

Limited faculty support equals limited student engagement. Faculty are not compensated

or formally acknowledged for sponsoring optional, By Arrangement (credit-bearing) internships, and many of them may not have the bandwidth to provide individual support to students. Consequently, they may be reluctant or unable to offer sponsorship or guidance to students in credit-bearing internships.

There are currently no standardized pre-

internship orientation seminars or concurrent internship courses available in most academic departments for students seeking optional credit-bearing internships.

Internship Course Options

Online, hybrid, and lecture internship course modules currently exist in several academic departments including: University Studies (Experiential Pathways Upper Division Clusters); Honors, School of Business; Psychology; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Criminology & Criminal Justice; and Health Studies.

Many of the previously mentioned course modules are scalable and may be customized

for any academic department.

Limited Staffing to Promote Internship Programming / Best Practices In the absence of standardized university-wide internship policies, Jeanne Ellis,

Internship Adviser in ACS (1.0 FTE) has developed comprehensive resources and best practices policies for each potential stakeholder in an internship experience: Students, Faculty and Staff, and Employers. However, even with comprehensive resources in place it is challenging to promote internship programming and affect change with only 1.0 FTE dedicated to this effort, and more importantly, without administrative endorsement and standardized institutional policy about internships.

Resources for Internship Stakeholders (Students, Faculty, Community Partners)

Each stakeholder currently has access to comprehensive online and printed resources as well as options for individual appointments with professional staff. Examples of current resources and information include: Internship Search and Preparation, Faculty and Staff Toolkit (to support students seeking academic credit), Best Practices for Employers, Department of Labor Guidelines for Unpaid Internships, internship posting instructions, and useful forms such as student learning contracts, employer and student evaluations, and PSU Credit by Arrangement. ACS also offers customized class presentations on internships at the request of faculty and staff and monthly workshops on Internship Overview & Search Tips, Resumes and Cover Letters, Interviewing, Networking, etc. (see section IV “Employer Engagement & Internships”)

6

http://www.pdx.edu/careers/getting-experience-through-internships

http://www.pdx.edu/careers/internship-resources-for-faculty-and-staff

http://www.pdx.edu/careers/creating-posting-internship-opportunities

http://www.pdx.edu/careers/sites/www.pdx.edu.careers/files/Presentation%20Request%20Form.pdf

http://www.pdx.edu/careers/sites/www.pdx.edu.careers/files/Presentation%20Request%20Form.pdf

http://www.pdx.edu/advising-career-services/career-workshops-classes-events


Institutional Gaps and Challenges: Limited Administrative Endorsement for Internships: Even with the current resources and

internship support in place within ACS, it is difficult to promote standardized practices and affect change without full administrative buy-in and institutional policy. (In AY 2015-16 this will begin to change with the recent passage of the University’s Strategic Plan and the Partnership Council’s subcommittee on professional development which speaks to expanding internships campuswide: Initiative #3).

Staffing Challenges: Designated staff is needed within ACS and throughout PSU

Schools and Colleges to promote, manage, and support students’ experiential learning. Staff may include internship advisers, employer relations specialists, and faculty internship sponsors/advisors.

Limited Internship Assessment: Within the current programming structure, PSU (and

ACS) is unable to determine the total number of students participating in optional internships because a large number of them are not engaged in academically-supported, credit-bearing experiences. Consequently, it is also difficult for professional staff in ACS to fully assess the value and outcomes of our work with students as we help them search and prepare for internships and other forms of experiential learning.

7


V. PSU Quantitative Research

The project team has used their best efforts to provide an accurate assessment of existing internship practices for this report. It must be noted that the following data may not be a comprehensive representation of internship credit earned by-arrangement at PSU. The decentralized nature of internship practices and protocols lead to varying categorizations of experiences that are similar to or overlap with the definition of an internship, including practicum, fieldwork, or co-op. Some academic departments require internships or practica, while many do not. Please see the following pages.

8

6%

94%

Overall Internship Participation

ParticipatingStudentsAll Other PSUUndergraduates

3615

808 386 297 176 128

CUPA

CLAS

HON

ORS SBA

COTA

MCE

CS

Internship SCH, by College

(Total SCH = 5340)

71%

14%

8%

3%

2%

2%

Internship SCH Distribution

CUPA CLAS

HONORS COTA

MCECS SBA

553

248 226

85 71 50

CUPA

CLAS

MCE

CS

SBA

HON

ORS

COTA

No. of Participating Students, by College

(Total = 1031)

68% 32%

Gender

Female Male

88%

11%

Student Classification

Seniors

Juniors

Sophomores

1%

P S U A C A D E M I C I N T E R N S H I P S S N A P S H O T

S U M M A R Y U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s 2 0 1 4 - 1 5

- - I n t e r n s h i p C r e d i t E a r n e d B y A r r a n g e m e n t - -

Participating Students (By Arrangement credit for Internships): 1031 Total Student Credit Hours: 5340 Internship and Practicum Opportunities

Optional, by application o Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science (MCECS)

Civil Engineering Cooperative Program (CECOP) Multiple Engineering Cooperative Program (MECOP) PSU/PDX Cooperative Education Program (PCEP) Engineering Work Experience (EWX)

Optional, by arrangement o All colleges, schools, and majors

Required o College of the Arts (COTA): Music Education o College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS): Women Studies, Conflict Resolution, Special

Education, Applied Linguistics o College of Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA): Political Science (Public Service track), Criminology

and Criminal Justice, Health Studies, Community Development o School of Business Administration (SBA): Food Industry Management, Social Entrepreneurship

and Innovation o School of Social Work (SSW): Child and Family Studies, Social Work

Internship Support

CLAS COTA CUPA HONORS MCECS SBA Designated internship coordinators X X X X Individual faculty internship sponsorship by arrangement

X X X X X X

Pre-internship workshops, career development, and advising

x X X

Pre-internship preparation course Arch only Varies by

dept.

Concurrent, co-curricular internship course Varies by dept.

X Varies by dept. X

Formal employer partnerships X X Placement support Varies by

dept. X X

Stipend support X

S U M M A R Y U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s , 2 0 1 4 - 1 5

P S U A C A D E M I C I N T E R N S H I P S Q U I C K F A C T S

9

3%

97%

Overall Internship

Participation

ParticipatingStudentsAll Other CLASStudents

151

128

111 98

62 56

47

31 29 24 18 14 12 9 6 4 4 4

Soci

olog

yCo

mm

unic

atio

nPs

ycho

logy

Int'l

Stu

dies

Nat

ive

Amer

Stu

dies

Biol

ogy

Envi

Sci

Anth

ropo

logy

Wor

ld L

ang

Mat

hW

ritin

gEn

glis

hH

isto

ryJe

wis

h St

udie

sPh

iloso

phy

Blac

k St

udie

sEc

onom

ics

Geo

logy

Internship SCH, by Dept

(Total SCH = 808)

21%

18%

14% 9% 8%

7%

5% 4% 3% 3%

8%


SOC COM INTL

NAS BIO ESM

WLL ANTH MTH

WR OTHER

36 32

29 26 25 24

18 14 13

9 8 4 3 2 2 1 1 1

Psyc

holo

gySo

ciol

ogy

Com

mun

icat

ion

Int'l

Stu

dies

Nat

ive

Amer

Stu

dies

Biol

ogy

Envi

Sci

Anth

ropo

logy

Wor

ld L

ang

Mat

hW

ritin

gEn

glis

hH

isto

ryJe

wis

h St

udie

sPh

iloso

phy

Blac

k St

udie

sEc

onom

ics

Geo

logy

No. of Participating Students, by Dept.

(Total = 248)

67% 33%

Gender

FemaleMale

88%

11%


SeniorsJuniorsSophomores

1%

C O L L E G E o f L I B E R A L A R T S a n d S C I E N C E S U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s 2 0 1 4 - 1 5



Participating Students (Courses numbered 404, and PSY 409 Only): 183 Supervising Faculty: 57 Total Student Credit Hours: 808 Internships/Practicum Opportunities

Optional Internships or Practica, by arrangement: All departments

Required Internships or Practica: Women Studies, Conflict Resolution, Special Education minor, Applied Linguistics

Internship Support

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Soci

olog

y

Com

mun

icat

ion

Int’l

Stu

dies

Nat

ive

Amer

Stu

dies

Bi

olog

y

Envi

Sci

An

thro

polo

gy

Wor

ld L

angu

ages

M

ath

Writ

ing

Engl

ish

Hist

ory

Jew

ish

Stud

ies

Philo

soph

y Bl

ack

Stud

ies

Econ

omic

s G

eolo

gy

Psyc

holo

gy

Designated internship coordinator X Individual faculty internship sponsorship by arrangement

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X


Pre-internship preparation course Concurrent, co-curricular internship course

X X

Formal employer partnerships Placement support Stipend support

C O L L E G E o f L I B E R A L A R T S a n d S C I E N C E S U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s , 2 0 1 4 - 1 5


10

3%

97%


Participating Students

All Other COTA Students

117

34 18

4 2 1

Art

Film

Thea

ter A

rts

Art H

isto

ry

Arch

itect

ure

Mus

ic


(Total SCH = 176)

67%

19%

10%

4%


ArtFilmTheater ArtsOther Departments

30

11

6

1 1 1

Art

Film

Thea

ter A

rts

Art H

isto

ry

Arch

itect

ure

Mus

ic


58% 42%

Gender

Female Male

90%

8%


SeniorsJuniorsSophomoresFreshmen

1%

C O L L E G E O F T H E A R T S U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s 2 0 1 4 - 1 5



Participating Students (courses numbered 404 only): 50 Supervising Faculty: 18 Total Student Credit Hours: 176 Internship/Practicum Opportunities

Optional, by arrangement: All departments

Required: Music Education

Internship Support College of the Arts Arch Art Art Hist Design Music Theater Film Designated internship coordinator Individual internship sponsorship by arrangement

X X X X X X X


Pre-internship preparation course X Concurrent, co-curricular internship course Formal employer partnerships Placement support Stipend support

C O L L E G E O F T H E A R T S U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s , 2 0 1 4 - 1 5


11

Participating Students (courses numbered 404 by Arrangement only): 553 Supervising Faculty: 2 Total Student Credit Hours: 3615 Key Personnel:

Richard Clucas, Professor of Political Science Danielle McGurrin, Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Jane Mercer, Academic Adviser, Community Health Belinda Zeidler, Faculty/Academic Adviser, Community Health

Internship/Practicum Opportunities


Required: Criminology and Criminal Justice, Political Science (Public Service track), Health Studies, Community Development

Internship Support College of Urban and Public Affairs Health

Studies Criminal Justice

Political Science

Designated internship coordinator X X X Individual faculty internship sponsorship by arrangement X X X Pre-internship workshops, career development, and advising X X X Pre-internship preparation course Concurrent, co-curricular internship course X Formal employer partnerships X X X Placement support X X Stipend support

C O L L E G E o f U R B A N a n d P U B L I C A F F A I R S U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s , 2 0 1 4 - 1 5


27%

73%



All Other CUPA Students

1942

1500

173

Heal

th S

tudi

es

Crim

inal

Just

ice

Polit

ical

Sci

ence


(Total SCH = 3615)

54% 41%

5%


Health Studies

Criminal Justice

Political Science

315

212

26

Heal

th S

tudi

es

Crim

inal

Just

ice

Polit

ical

Sci

ence


71%

28%

1%

Gender

FemaleMaleOther/NK

95%

5%


Seniors

Juniors

Sophomores

C O L L E G E o f U R B A N a n d P U B L I C A F F A I R S U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s 2 0 1 4 - 1 5



12

12%

88%



All Other Honors Students

67% 33%

Gender

Female Male

58% 36%


Seniors

Juniors

Sophomores

6%

386

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Total Internship SCH

71

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

No. of Participating Students


H O N O R S C O L L E G E U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s 2 0 1 4 - 1 5


Participating Students (courses numbered 404 By Arrangement only): 71 Supervising Faculty: 6 Total Student Credit Hours: 386 Key Personnel: Andrew Longhofer, Graduate Assistant Internship Opportunities

Optional, by arrangement. Students can earn up to 8 credits toward Junior Honors Requirements through an internship. Students must register for Honors 404 and complete a concurrent, online co-curricular internship course. Funding from the Honors College is available, by application, to cover incidental costs associated with the internship, such as transportation, supplies, and conference fees.

Internship Support

Honors College Designated internship coordinator X Individual faculty internship sponsorship, by arrangement X Pre-internship workshops, career development, and advising Pre-internship preparation course Concurrent, co-curricular internship course X Formal employer partnerships Placement support Stipend support for students X

H O N O R S C O L L E G E U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s , 2 0 1 4 - 1 5


13

11%

89%



All Other MCECS Students

77

47

3 1

Com

p Sc

i

Elec

/Che

m E

ng

Civi

l Eng

Mec

h En

g


(Total SCH = 128)

60% 37%

2% 1%


Comp SciElec/Chem EngCivil EngMech Eng

78

61

48 39

Elec

/Che

m E

ng

Mec

h En

g

Civi

l Eng

Com

p Sc

i

No.of Participating Students, by Dept.

17%

83%

Gender

Female Male

96%

4%


SeniorsJuniors

M A S E E H C O L L E G E o f E N G I N E E R I N G a n d C O M P U T E R S C I E N C E

U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s 2 0 1 4 - 1 5 - - I n t e r n s h i p C r e d i t E a r n e d B y A r r a n g e m e n t - -

P S U A C A D E M I C I N T E R N S H I P S S N A P S H O T C

Participating Students: 226 Supervising Faculty: 6 Total Student Credit Hours: 128 Key Personnel:

Frank Goovaerts, Director of Career Success, Engineering and Computer Science Warren Harrison, Professor of Computer Science and PCEP Director

Internship/Co-op Education Opportunities

Civil Engineering Cooperative Program (CECOP), optional, by application, is a five-year undergraduate co-op program. It includes two full-time, six-month paid internships alternating with coursework. Students also take EAS 407, a required, noncredit-bearing seminar, prior to participating in work experiences.

The Multiple Engineering Co-Op Program (MECOP), optional, by application, is a structured internship program similar to CECOP. Students participate in two paid, full-time, six-month internships during the five-year undergraduate program. They also take EAS 407, a required, noncredit-bearing seminar.

The PSU/PDX Cooperative Education Program (PCEP), optional, by application, is a cooperative educational program in which Computer Science students work 20 hours per week at local PCEP Partner companies, while concurrently taking between eight and twelve credits each term at PSU. Students are paid, and earn 4 credits in CS409 (CS Practicum) over the two year experience.

Engineering Work Experience (EWX), optional, by application, is a structured paid summer internship program for undergraduate students in Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE), Mechanical Engineering (MME) and Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE).


Internship Support Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science Elec/

Chem Eng Comp

Sci. Civil Eng

Mech Eng

Designated internship coordinator X X X X Individual faculty internship sponsorship by arrangement X X X X Pre-internship workshops, career development, and advising X X X X Pre-internship preparation course (EAS 407) X X X Concurrent, co-curricular internship course (CS 409) X Formal employer partnerships X X X X Placement support X X X X Stipend support


M A S E E H C O L L E G E o f E N G I N E E R I N G a n d C O M P U T E R S C I E N C E

U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s , 2 0 1 4 - 1 5

C

14

3%

97%



All Other SBA Students

161

67

32 20 17

Man

agem

ent

Acco

untin

g

Mar

ketin

g

ISQ

A

Fina

nce


(Total SCH = 297)

54%

22%

11%

7% 6%


ManagementAccountingMarketingISQAFinance

47

22

10 6 6

Man

agem

ent

Acco

untin

g

Mar

ketin

g

Fina

nce

ISQ

A


60% 40%

Gender

Female Male

91%

9%


Seniors Juniors

S C H O O L o f B U S I N E S S A D M I N I S T R A T I O N U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s 2 0 1 4 - 1 5



Participating Students (Courses numbered 404 by Arrangement only): 91 Supervising Faculty: 25 Total Student Credit Hours: 297 Key Personnel:

Lauren Simon, Assistant Professor, SBA Becky Einolf, SBA Academic and Career Advisor (former Internship Program Manager)

Internship/Practicum Opportunities Food Industry Management Certificate: required, by arrangement. Students who wish to earn a certificate in Food Industry Management must complete 4 credits of MKTG 409, Food Industry Practicum/Internship.

Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship Certificate: required field study. Students who wish to earn a certificate in the Business of Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship must complete 4 credits of MGMT 409 through either a local field study experience in Portland, or an international field study experience in India.

All Other Departments and Majors: optional, by arrangement. Students are responsible for securing their own internships and must register with their department for a concurrent, co-curricular online internship course. Students may apply up to six credits of internship coursework toward their undergraduate business degrees.

Internship Support

School of Business Administration Mgmt. Acctg Mktg ISQA Finance Designated internship coordinator X X X X X Individual faculty internship sponsorship by arrangement X X X X X Pre-internship workshops, career development, and advising X X X X X Pre-internship preparation course Concurrent, co-curricular internship course X X X X X Formal employer partnerships Placement support X X X X X Stipend support

S C H O O L o f B U S I N E S S A D M I N I S T R A T I O N U n d e r g r a d u a t e A c a d e m i c I n t e r n s h i p s , 2 0 1 4 - 1 5


15


In the academic year 2014-2015, ACS hosted 485 employers for career fairs, information sessions, workshops, and other recruiting events.

VI. Employer Engagement & Internships

Current Practices PSU’s employer engagement efforts bear many similarities to current internship practices: there are a myriad ways in which employers are engaged and are provided services by PSU faculty and staff. ACS employs professional staff whose primary responsibility is to liaise with employers to develop internship and employment opportunities for PSU students. Other campus partners such as the Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science (MCECS) and the School of Business Administration (SBA) employ staff who both engage employers and support students in their internship experiences. Still others, such as faculty and academic advisers, maintain individual relationships with employers and may work with employer relations staff to coordinate services. These services include promoting internship opportunities to students and creating on-campus recruiting opportunities where they can connect with employers.

ACS provides campus leadership through its Internship Adviser, whose role serves as the main resource for employers, faculty, staff and students seeking information about internships. The Adviser conducts student appointments, monthly internship-related workshops, presentations to faculty, and has developed online internship best practices that employers and PSU staff can reference that include:

Defining appropriate educational internship experiences Legal and ethical considerations, including Fair Labor Standards Act guidelines Explanation of how students may earn credit for internships PSU policies on Liability and Workers Compensation for interns Documents which provide support to faculty sponsors in guiding the student experience

With support from employer relations staff, the Internship Adviser also responds to employer inquiries regarding internship programming and best practice and vets all internships and employers posted in CareerConnect, PSU’s online internships and jobs database.

The School of Business Administration also provides a multitude of coordinated services including an internship handbook for students and employers, info sessions with employers recruiting summer interns, and the inclusion of “Featured Internships” in weekly e-newsletters to students. In MCECS, faculty have established PCEP, a rotating internship program that provides multiple internship opportunities for participating students and is maintained by strong relationships with a growing roster of local employers.

16

http://www.pdx.edu/careers/creating-posting-internship-opportunities

http://www.pdx.edu/careers/posting-jobs-internships

http://www.pdx.edu/computer-science/pcep-internship


Challenges Decentralized Employer Tracking

PSU does not have a centralized method of tracking interactions with employers, including internship postings. Departmental listservs and other databases are also used to post and share internship opportunities. Thus, it is difficult to have a comprehensive understanding of the current level of employer internship engagement. Below is a snapshot of internship data pulled from CareerConnect for AY2014-2015. ACS acknowledges the data is incomplete as many employers do not post their internships in CareerConnect. For those who do, many do not always provide all information (e.g. industry) when posting their internships.

Postings

Number of employers posting: 697 Unique internships posted: 1,263 (representing 2,667

available positions) Paid: 832 Unpaid/unspecified: 431

Majors Selected

Unspecified: 901 All Majors: 73 Business: 181

Common Job Functions

(each position can have multiple functions)

Marketing: 186 Customer Service/Admin Support: 141 Advocacy/Community Service: 95 Accounting: 90 Creative/Design: 87 Public Relations: 71 Programming/Software Development: 62 Human Resources: 50

Lack of Staffing Bandwidth to Develop Internships Several challenges emerge regarding internship postings and data. Incomplete and decentralized information does not give a complete picture of the employers and industries that are recruiting at PSU. At this point in time, it is difficult to easily determine where the gaps may be. For example, a large healthcare insurer may have built a steady pipeline of SBA interns, but there may be opportunities for computer science or communication majors that are not being developed. Anecdotally, employer relations staff know gaps exist but current bandwidth does not allow for an expansive outreach campaign or data mining to identify gaps in opportunities.

Secondly, industry-specific outreach by employer relations staff is not (yet) in place. This is an area of expansion in which staff can focus on specific academic departments to develop more pathways for those students to connect to a wider range of employers and industries. The

17


PSU’s Strategic Partners:

Intel

PGE

OHSU

TAO

City of Portland

Port of Portland

Greater Portland Inc.

Multnomah County

Oregon Inc.

current approach is typically reactive - employer relations staff responding to employer needs and maintaining current relationships. There is not enough bandwidth to significantly expand existing partnerships or pursue strategic relationships at this time. Lack of Centralized Support and Resources for Employers Employers can have a difficult time navigating PSU and finding the right staff and resources to connect with. ACS has a centralized website employers can use to find services. This website lists campus partners and serves as a “front door” for employer engagement at PSU, but it is not

an exhaustive list.

Staff and faculty may rely on individual relationships to coordinate employer support efforts across departments. We often find that departments on campus are maintaining relationships with several points of contact from the same employer. Generally speaking, this is not problematic as many employers recruit from specific majors and therefore work with specific academic departments. However, it can often be confusing from both outside the University and also from within as various staff and faculty work independently to provide employer services and on-campus recruiting opportunities. Internship and employer relations staff work diligently across departments to ensure employers are connected to the right services and departments. This includes partnerships with colleagues within the Office of Strategic Partnerships and the PSU Foundation.

Next Steps Efforts to mitigate these challenges include department-level efforts by SBA, MCECS, and ACS staff to liaise with one another on a regular basis. These staff also participate in the PSU

Partnership Council providing input to initiatives around creating a more cohesive approach to employer engagement, including how it relates to internships. Initiative #3 “Expand

Experiential Learning Opportunities that Support Student

Success and Career Pathways” is of particular importance; much

strategic discussion will be taking place around building a “...university wide infrastructure and capability to coordinate and

communicate key components of PSU industry/economic/workforce development agenda - i.e. internships, career pathways, entrepreneurship, and industry cluster support.”

18

http://www.pdx.edu/careers/employer-engagement-opportunities

http://www.pdx.edu/partnerships/partnership-council-0




Additionally, ACS and Partnership Council representatives were engaged in the Strategic Planning process, providing input to Strategic Goal #3, Initiative #3: Enhance Internship

Opportunities:

3.1 Encourage academic programs to establish internship programs where relevant to their curricular mission.

3.2 Expand community-based learning opportunities prior to the senior capstone. 3.3 Offer flexible internship opportunities for students who face challenges in balancing

family, work and learning responsibilities, or for students who require accommodations.

As stated earlier, it is difficult to get a comprehensive picture of PSU’s internship-related work simply because a system does yet exist to track it all. However, efforts at the department level and within the Partnership Council, coupled with the Strategic Plan’s emphasis on elevating

student success as it relates to education that leads to employment, are beginning to move PSU into a more unified approach that will engage employers in ways that will create greater access to internships.

In conclusion, two major challenges emerge: PSU must work diligently to coordinate internal efforts to inform and track employer outreach and engagement. More staff is needed to not only keep up with demand from employers to engage, but if PSU does enter a new model of institutionalized internship programming, it will create more demand from students, and the University must have the capacity in place to seek out new opportunities to meet that student demand. An expanded Employer Relations team along with a student/faculty-serving Internship team in ACS can play a leading role in a coordinated approach to employer engagement and utilization of campus-wide resources such as CareerConnect.

19



Faculty & staff review comparator institution best practices.

VII. Comparator Institution Research

In addition to the research the project team conducted on internship practices at PSU, five interviews were conducted with comparator institutions. Comparator institutions were defined as public, urban-serving universities with similar student numbers and populations. Although the team did not interview Brigham Young University, it was included in the research given its reputation for being a leader in internship best practices.

The comparator interview questionnaire was organized into five sections: Organization & Administration, Student Support, University-Employer Relationships, Faculty Involvement, and Evaluation & Assessment (see Appendix F).

When the comparator interviews were completed, the project team carefully reviewed the information gathered from the interviews to generate a list of key practices they felt were the most scalable at PSU (see Appendix G).

In September 2015, the project team convened the newly-formed Internship Advisory Committee for the first time. We presented our list of scalable key practices from the comparator interviews to seven staff and faculty members. The key practices were organized by the sections reflected in the comparator interview questionnaire. The Advisory Committee was then led through a priority-setting exercise in which they were asked to place colored dots next to the practices they believed could or should be adopted at PSU. A facilitated discussion by the project team also took place in order to gain an understanding of why certain practices were chosen, and to gain their perspectives on how those practices could impact departments differently.

In October 2015, the internship project team led the same priority-setting exercise for 14 CLAS advisors as was done with the Internship Advisory Committee in September. The scalable key practices listed below reflect the results of both the PSU Internship Advisory Committee and the CLAS advisor sessions. (Please see an expanded description of the practices in Appendix G)

Organization & Structure Centralized jobs database Centralized career and internship office collaborates with internship coordinators within

departments

20

Decentralized career services within departments; no central office. Closest thing to a centralized office is the Exploratory Program: offers career exploration programs in the 1st & 2nd years

Online training module must be completed by advisers/faculty to supervise on-campus internships

Hybrid model: 36 internship staff work on three different campuses Internship classes (not offered in all departments)

Student Support & Curriculum Integration

Classes (online & on campus) Internship Prep Program (combination of workshops and individual appointments)

Offers 0 credit internship course; students don’t pay for course Academic Internship Program: students from majors that don’t require co-ops or

internships can enroll. Taught by adjuncts who are trained by central career office Internships are evaluated within departments Maintains listserv to promote opportunities to and coordinate trainings with internship

coordinators Internship Handbook for Department-level Internship Coordinators

Employer-University Partnerships

Hosts major/department-specific job & internship fairs Uses streamlined, single site contract (affiliation agreement) with employers Office of Engagement informs community of its services Alumni Association program “Aztecs Hiring Aztecs” Two staff dedicated to vetting employers (internships/ethical practices) Provides “potential experience provider packet” tailored to specific department’s

partnership development (can be either industry or academic specific) Uses industry clusters approach to identifying employers within the region

Faculty Involvement

Comprehensive Internship Handbook used by Internship Coordinators to promote internships to faculty

Internship contact for each department (⅔ of these are faculty lecturers) Internship coordinator (in central office) hosts faculty lunch series (8 per year) Adjunct faculty teach internship course sequence

21

http://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/CDPA/prepprogram

http://www.uc.edu/propractice/intern/page1.html

https://intern.byu.edu/sites/intern.byu.edu/files/files/Handbook_0.pdf

http://www.sdsualumni.org/s/997/index.aspx?sid=997&gid=1&pgid=3437



Internship Councils or Workgroups

are common among comparator

institutions. Members are often

appointed by academic leaders to

implement standardized internship

practices.

Key Observations from Comparator Research A common and important theme surfaced during this research: the recognition of the value of internships and experiential learning from leaders at comparator institutions. In the interviews, the team heard examples of institutional shifts in priorities, with directives issued by Presidents and Provosts to expand internship programming and staffing.

Other ideals or goals the team heard that are similar to PSU goals: More staff is required to meet goals and student needs. Ideally, more internship support

and staff focused on engaging faculty and students is needed (SDSU) Academic advisors could discuss career milestones with students and these could be

integrated with academic milestones (FIU) Utilize the “MyMap” degree tracker to incorporate and track coursework and co-curricular

activities (SDSU) Teams of faculty and support staff recently restructured into an industry clusters model;

they are responsible for a specific cluster but follow common internship practices (UC) Overall, the project team was impressed with the variety of practices comparator institutions are utilizing, and were most struck by the staffing resources dedicated to providing internship and employer relations services. Although, the team did hear about a lack of capacity among some institutions to provide the level of service needed to match student demand. The team is confident that with similar high-level administrative support and prioritization, PSU can adopt a wide range of practices that assist students in identifying, engaging, and reflecting on their internship experiences.

22


“Universities are increasingly competing

based on the practical, hands-on

experience they provide students, and

facilitation of internships and other

experiential activities are a way for PSU to

truly differentiate itself and add value to

the student (and the community's)

experience.”

- Lauren Simon, Professor, SBA

VIII. Summary

The Internship Project Team would like to express sincere appreciation to our colleagues and collaborators who have contributed in meaningful ways to this report, and who are continually working to provide valuable experiential learning support to our students. We look forward to facilitating greater collaboration across departments as we develop a more unified approach to institutional best practice around internships.

The project team has come away from our research with a strengthened belief that expanding academically-supported internships is key to promoting professional growth, purposeful academic and real-world engagement, and resiliency for all students. It is our hope that PSU’s administrators and academic leaders will actively endorse internships as a “high-impact academic practice.” By doing so, it may expand more equitable access to students - not just those who have the luxury of time, the financial resources, or the “know how” resulting from previous generations’ higher education engagement. We believe PSU can do more to support student success through internships and that they add value to the academic experience.

We also believe that the implementation of academically-supported internships will demonstrate the institution’s commitment to student success from the first day a student arrives on campus, whether they are a freshman or a junior-level transfer student. By integrating resources and tools into general education curriculum at all levels, we can reach more students and assist them in preparing for the real-world engagement we know to be beneficial to future employability. The following observations and recommendations are based upon research conducted by the project team and includes input from PSU stakeholder interviews, comparator institution interviews, relevant EAB studies, and insight gleaned from our day-to-day interactions with students and academic departments.

Key Observations and Recommendations

Administrative and Institutional Considerations: Internships become a part of PSU culture: Members of the Academic Leadership

Team will promote institutional endorsement for programming which ensures equal access to professional development curriculum and preparation for engagement in real-world learning for all PSU undergraduate students.

Students engage with faculty and are guided and encouraged throughout their

internships to reflect on their experiences through academically-relevant coursework and individual or group support.

ACS partners with academic departments to improve student access to experiential

learning opportunities through integrated experiential co-curriculum throughout current four year UNST programming, e.g.:

23


Add career development to Super Awesome Degree Mapping Career Development Intro - Exploratory Studies assessments and curriculum

(FRINQ) Pre-internship orientation seminar (SINQ, Upper Division Clusters), Co-curricular support through Upper Division Cluster internships and academic

internship courses (online, lecture-based, and hybrid) ACS to provide tools for reflection and articulation of career pathways and skills-

building gleaned from community-based learning i.e., Capstones and internships Customized outreach plan for transfer students using transfer liaisons and

transition center programming that meets students where they are in their academic and experiential learning process

Develop additional Capstone courses which allow students to select their own community engagement experience

ACS facilitates and collaborates on further development of scalable online, lecture-

based, or hybrid internship courses adaptable to any academic major using successful program models currently in place at PSU and peer institutions. Scalable internship course models currently in practice at PSU include: UNST Upper Division Cluster Internship, Honors, SBA, Psychology, Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, Criminal Justice & Criminology, Health Studies, and Native American Studies.

Expand Career Pathways classes in more departments with internship engagement

embedded in curriculum such as Psychology, SBA, and CUPA

Internships count towards degree requirements and may be integrated into degree mapping

Develop more on-campus internship opportunities: Encourage staff and faculty to

develop opportunities that are educational and credit-worthy experiences. ACS and other partners such as the Student Employment Committee will assist in setting best practices for these on-campus experiences

Development of institutionally-standardized practices and language around

internship programming and standardization of common By Arrangement designation for credit-worthy activities, research, projects, classes, etc.

Standardized Affiliation Agreements & Learning Agreements between PSU and

employers and between employers and students

Academic Support:

ACS collaborates with the Office of Academic Innovation and academic departments to utilize the new Pebblepad eportfolio platform to provide co-curricular assessments and professional development tools for student learning and reflection on experiential learning

All PSU Schools and Colleges offer experiential co-curriculum in which students

participate in an experiential learning opportunity related to their major.

24


Prior to participating in any internship experience - whether it is for credit or not for credit, each student will have access to participate in an Internship Orientation (online or lecture-based) Seminar. The seminar would promote the soft skills identified by employers necessary to strengthen a student’s employability, and provide access to resources and information on how to navigate their search for experiential opportunities.

Capacity & Funding for Internships:

Provide stipends for faculty who sponsor/supervise individual internships

Include internship seminars and courses in faculty roles

Create an Office of Internships & Experiential Learning within ACS Additional internship and employer relations staff designated to serve students in

ACS and to collaborate with department-level lead academic internship liaisons

State support directed to internship programming

Prioritize PSU Foundation initiatives to include fundraising for internship scholarships and programming

Seek grants to provide funding for unpaid internships with community-serving

organizations

Employer Engagement:

Increased development of PSU community partnerships and formalized internship program support provided to the employer community

Centralized employer relations practices, including utilization of jobs and internships

database, establishing affiliation agreements with employers, and liaising with campus partners such as the Office of Strategic Partnerships

Stakeholder Resources and Information:

Adapt existing resources and information to create an Internship Handbook for all stakeholders in the internship/experiential learning experience to outline roles, responsibilities, and University policy

Assessment:

Identify sustainable program assessment and students success tools. Currently, Datamaster, SSC, and CareerConnect can be used to track student engagement, postings, student-employer interactions, hiring, and student and partner evaluations. Further assessment tools within Schools and Colleges will be explored

Benefits to PSU:

In order to ensure widespread involvement in “high impact practices” like internships, faculty members are essential stakeholders. According to George Kuh, Director,

25

http://www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/LEAP/HIP_tables.pdf


National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment, there is a positive relationship between the number of faculty members who support an activity and the number of students who participate in the activity. When there is more support for these activities from the campus community, there will be more time and resources delegated to support these activities, which will contribute to a campus culture to encourage increased participation by students3

Academically supported internship courses generate a greater number student credit hours (SCH) than individual ‘By Arrangement’ experience with one student and one (uncompensated) faculty member.

Increased SCH; total generated campus-wide in AY 2014-15 = 5,244 Student Credit

Hours (see section III)

Strengthened community relationships through partnership and collaboration with public and private sector employers.

Benefits to Students:

There is abundant data which demonstrates that students who engage in internships and experiential learning are more employable than those students who do not have relevant experience.4

In “What Student Affairs Professionals Need to Know about Student Engagement,”

George Kuh discusses the importance of student engagement for all students. Involvement in “high impact practices” was seen to have a positive impact for students of color and students of lower ability with regards to first year grades and persistence. According to Kuh, high impact practices “make a claim on student time and energy in ways that channel student effort towards productive activities and deepened learning.” Internships and other field placements were among the activities that were indicated as high impact practices.5

Additional benefit to students

mentored experience purposeful real-world learning and engagement opportunity to “try on” a career professional skills development greater accessibility to employment and graduate degree programs

3 Kuh, G. D. (2008a). “High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they

matter.” Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. 4 LEAP Presidents' Trust Employer-Educator Compact Association of American Colleges and Universities 5 Kuh, G.D. What Student Affairs Professionals Need to Know About Student Engagement, Journal of College Student Development, Volume 50, Number 6, November/December 2009, pp. 683-706

26

http://www.aacu.org/leap/presidentstrust/compact

https://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_college_student_development/v050/50.6.kuh.html




https://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_college_student_development/toc/csd.50.6.html


Organizational Structure:

Establish office of Internships & Experiential Learning, a centralized information hub within Advising & Career Services for students and faculty to access information and resources on the various ways students can get and prepare for relevant experience, e.g.: research, internship, co-op, practicum, volunteering, student group engagement, special projects, etc.

Staffing to include professional internship and career advisers, employer relations specialists, and administrative specialists.

ACS Internship staff to liaise with professional staff & faculty

ACS Internship staff to facilitate training to department specific designated academic internship liaisons and faculty with regard to campus resources and information

Provide leadership to and coordination of Internship Advisory Committee

Each PSU School and College or department would have designated Internship faculty and/or professional staff to liaise with ACS Internship Advisers to provide best practices, student advising, academic support to students participating in internships, and engage with employers.

“Wouldn’t it be great if PSU could be known for our internship program in the same way

we are known for our Capstones? - Frank Goovaerts, Director of Student Career Success, MCECS

27


IX. Appendices A. Questionnaire for PSU Stakeholders

B. List of PSU Stakeholders and Comparator Interviewees

C. Empathy Mapping: Insights from PSU Stakeholder Interviews

D. Internship Advisory Committee Members & Charge

E. 2011 Internship Survey

F. Questionnaire for Comparator Institutions

G. Comparator Institution Scalable Practices

28


A. Questionnaire for PSU Stakeholders

Thanks for your willingness to participate in our internship practices interviews. The questions below are meant to offer you a preview of our upcoming discussion. If possible, please take a moment to review them prior to our meeting time. The information you provide during your interview along with the data we collect on internship engagement in your department will be integrated into our proposal for developing standardized best practices and greater academic support for students engaged in experiential learning at PSU. We very much appreciate your contribution to this project.

Date of Interview: Name of Stakeholder: Title: Department: Name of Interviewer: Name of Notetaker:

1. Tell us about your experiences with internships within your department.

2. Please describe your role as it relates to internships within your department.

3. Tell us one example of a student’s internship experience that stands out for you. If you can’t recall any examples, describe what you think a valuable internship experience looks like.

4. What types of experiences would you classify as an internship? (Why?)

5. What other experiential learning opportunities does your department offer students for credit?

coop practicum research field work other

6. Describe the type of support your department offers to students who are seeking,

preparing for, or participating in internships (e.g.: internship or career development classes, individual advising, online support).

7. Do you feel your department has enough information on best practices and ethical considerations around internships to provide comprehensive support to students?

7a. If not, what kinds of information or support would you like to have?

8. Does your department work directly with employers to develop internships opportunities

for your students?

29


9. How does your department work with employers to support students during their

internship? 10. How do students in your department learn about internship opportunities?

Email listservs Faculty Announcements Bulletin Board Advisers Social Media Other

11. Does your department have an established internship work to credithourearned ratio?

a. e.g., 3 hours/wk. for 10 weeks = 1 credit or 12 hours/wk. for 10 weeks = 4 credit

12. How does your department evaluate total number of hours a student spends on

internship work, meaning the number of hours worked at the internship site and number of hours spent on internship assignments?

13. Does your department track and/or assess partnerships related to internship

opportunities? 14. What’s working well in your department to prepare students for internships?

14a. What can be improved? 14b. What would need to happen to achieve this?

15. What do you see as some of the biggest barriers students face in making an internship

part of their education at PSU? 16. What can PSU do to remove these barriers? (e.g.: internship courses, more faculty advisers/sponsors, more career advisers,

peer advisers, more opportunities to earn internship credit?) 17. Please list your recommendations for faculty and/or staff from your department to

participate on an Internship Advisory Committee which will contribute to further development of academicallysupported internship programming universitywide.

Faculty/staff recommendations:

18. Do you have any further thoughts or have we missed anything else you would like to share?

30


B. List of PSU Stakeholder and Comparator Interviewees PSU Stakeholders Advising & Career Services

Mary Vance, Career Counselor & Sustainability Internship Program Manager College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Mike Bartlett, Associate Professor, Biology Scott Broussard, Academic Adviser, Psychology Veronica Dujon, Associate Dean, Humanities and Social Sciences Martha Dyson, Academic Adviser Suzanne Estes, Associate Professor, Biology Drake Mitchell, Associate Dean, Natural Sciences Jon Rousseau, Academic Adviser

College of Urban & Public Affairs Richard Clucas, Professor, Political Science Danielle McGurrin, Associate Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice Jane Mercer, Academic Adviser/Internship Coordinator, Community Health Belinda Zeidler, Faculty/Academic Adviser Community Health

Honors Ann Marie Fallon, Former Director

Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science Frank Goovaerts, Director of Student Career Success Warren Harrison, Professor, Computer Science & Director, PCEP Internship Program

School of Business Administration Talya Bauer, Professor, Management & ReThink #59 Project Lead: SBA Online

Internship MiniMOOC) Becky Einolf, Career and Academic Adviser Lauren Simon, Assistant Professor, Human Resources & Faculty for reTHINK #59 (SBA

Online Internship MiniMOOC) Comparator Institutions

Ivette Duarte, Director of Career Services, Florida International University Alyson Kavalukas, Internship Coordinator, University of Pittsburgh Heather LaPerle, Campus Internship Coordinator, San Diego State University Matt Rust, Director of Career and Advising Services, Indiana UniversityPurdue

University, Indianapolis Brodie Theis, Assistant Professor & Director, Academic Internship Program, University

of Cincinnati

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C. Empathy Mapping: Insights from PSU Stakeholder Interviews

All students have access to and support for internships

Capacity & funding for internships Stipends for faculty and/or students Prioritize Foundation initiatives Grants Staffing:

Internship support/support to students at department level

Employer relations State support superviser/faculty stipends internships count towards degree

requirements: Internship classes prep and

cocurricular Advising resources Part of degree/career

mapping

Increased Internship and Employer Relations Staff Support in ACS

Internships part of PSU Culture

Institutional buyin

Centralized info hub on internships one stop shop Guidebook for all departments and stakeholders Incorporate internship resource sharing into advising Standardize support documents & processes Standardize Affiliation & Learning Agreements

Develop more oncampus internship opportunities

Career Pathways classes in all departments w/ internships embedded in curriculum

Testimonials from: Psych, SBA, CUPA What Can I Do With a Degree In…?

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D. Internship Advisory Committee Members & Charge Advising & Career Services

Jeanne Ellis, Internship Advisor & Project Lead Greg Flores, Associate Director Ann Mestrovich, Employer Relations Coordinator & Project Manager Leena Shrestha, Academic Adviser Mary Vance, Career Counselor & Sustainability Internship Program Manager

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Scott Broussard, Academic Adviser, Psychology Roxanne James, Academic Adviser, English Anthony Lewis, Academic Adviser Jon Rousseau, Academic Adviser

College of Urban & Public Affairs Richard Clucas, Professor, Political Science Danielle McGurrin, Associate Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice Jane Mercer, Academic Adviser, Community Health Belinda Zeidler, Academic Adviser, Community Health

Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science Frank Goovaerts, Director of Student Career Success Warren Harrison, Professor, Computer Science & PCEP Internship Program Director

School of Business Administration Becky Einolf, Career and Academic Adviser, School of Business Administration Lauren Simon, Assistant Professor, Human Resources & Faculty for reTHINK #59 (SBA

Online Internship MiniMOOC)

The PSU Internship Advisory Committee will provide a forum for faculty and staff and Advising & Career Services (ACS) to engage in information gathering and discussions regarding current internship practices and policies at PSU. Information gathered from this work will inform both the creation of a proposal for greater consistency in internship programming and recommendations for improving and expanding academicallysupported internship practices throughout PSU. The Advisory Committee will be a key component of the ACSled project “Creating an AcademicallySupported Internship Program at PSU” and will generate innovative ideas for promoting greater student access to and participation in internships. This will provide more students experiences that develop the skills, attributes, and knowledge they will need for career success.

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Membership: Membership will include representatives from the following units: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (4), School of Business Administration (2), Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science (2), College of the Arts (2), College of Urban & Public Affairs (2), School of Social Work (2), University Studies/Urban Honors (2) Accountability:

Support ACS’s internship initiative by assisting in the gathering of relevant data from their academic units

Engage in discussions about best ways to implement a campuswide internship program Act as an ambassador and champion for increased access to internships within their

units and throughout the University Time Commitment: Academic Year 2015/16; meeting approximately once per month

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E. PSU Internship and Coop Survey Portland State University (PSU) – Individual College and University Responses Conducted by Intern Bridge and administered at PSU in November 2011

Purpose of the survey: To gain an understanding of what students are looking for relative to experiential education and what current gaps exist; to utilize results to inform development of program materials for students, faculty and employers.

Who took the survey? The survey was sent out on November 10, 2011 to 36,366 PSU students; 1155 responded. All the demographic information below is selfreported.

69 % female 71% white/nonHispanic 31% 1722; 41% 2330; 17% 3140; 11% 41 and older 89% had a selfreported GPA of 3.0 or higher 74% received financial aid 54% were in 3rd to 5th year of an undergraduate program; 25% in a graduate program Top academic disciplines represented by respondents:

o Business, management, marketing and related support systems o Social sciences, not including psychology o Health professions and related clinical sciences o Engineering o Education o Visual and performing arts

Most frequent ways respondents, both those who participated in an internship and those who did not, learned about internships at PSU?

Faculty Academic adviser Friend or acquaintance Email announcement Fellow student in program Academic department announcement

Internship Participation

24% of respondents had done an internship; of these respondents o 37% were paid for their internship o 65% received academic credit for their internship o 58% worked another job for money o 74% of their internship sites were in nonprofit organizations or government

agencies (vs. for profit organizations) o 92% said their internship helped them explore interests and career options

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Top internship sites: notforprofit organizations; educational services; government:

state and local agencies; health sciences.

Benefits of internships

Respondents who completed internships were asked if they agreed with following statements as a direct result of their internship experiences (responses listed in rank order).

It is important to build relationships with others at work. I was provided with experience that I have never had before. I now know the advantages and disadvantages of working this type of job. I realized my own strengths and weaknesses as a future employee through my

internship. I understand myself better through this internship. I was allowed to see how working as a real employee feels like. I learned being able to work with people different from myself was really important. I am more comfortable working with others as part of a team. My coworkers consider me “part of the team”. I have a thorough understanding of the occupation. I am confident with my level of skills and competencies. I took time to get to know people within the host organization. I gained an understanding of how to work in a social organization.

Awareness of internships

62% of respondents were not aware of any courses or workshops to assist them in finding an internship

42% of respondents did not know if Portland State allowed students to do unpaid internships

Barriers to Accessing Internships/Internship Resources identified by students:

Respondents were asked why they… “have not yet participated in an internship…” The two main reasons were that students have do not have time because of too much school work and because they have too many jobs.

Other reasons, reported by respondents, included being too early in their college careers to consider an internship, being unclear about the overall benefits of an internship, and not having the time because of involvement in many school activities.

Lack of Awareness: About Internship database/Career Services resources and Internship support resources, clarity around how to find relevant internships, where to look, who to ask for help and how to go about getting credit General Access issues including: Time constraints/conflicts, perceived or actual competition of internships, difficulty coming to career/internship fairs or networking events and difficulty with

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fitting in unpaid experience into schedule or due to specific challenges based on demographics (working students, distance learning students, students with disabilities) Clarity of information: Inconsistent information or lack of information around credit/pay/if they are required/ and the processes for setting up, completing and getting credit for experience on the department and universitywide level

Internship Needs identified by students

More passive marketing about internship opportunities and resources, especially on the department level

More outreach events from employers including department specific career fairs, networking nights, panels etc

More integration on internship opportunities and resources into the classroom (guest speakers, classroom presentation, faculty sharing opportunities)

More internship support on the department level to provide targeted information and opportunities

More guidance from faculty and staff on networking/connecting with professionals, how to find and apply for internships

Opportunities beyond the career fairs to interact with employers (other/smaller events, tabling in departments, evening networking nights/coffee hours etc)

More outreach/guidance about careerrelated skill development (resume writing, interviewing, etc)

Student Internship Programming Recommendations

Department level support such as an internship liaison/adviser in order to filter/target information to students based on career goals/majors

Networking nights, panels, informational interviews, and coffee hours on the major/department/or individual school level to connect students with professionals in different fields and organizations looking for interns

More outreach about Career Services and Internship Resources already available, ideally through classroom presentations or targeted presentations to student group/clubs

Department level peer mentors on careerrelated topics Streamlining process for students earning credit/clarifying that process

The information from this assessment will be used to shape outreach activities to students, faculty and employers and to continue to develop guidelines and materials for students, faculty and employers.

Report prepared by Jeanne Ellis, with Mary Ann Barham, Vicki Wise, and Roxanne James – April 2013

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F. Questionnaire for Comparator Institutions Thanks for your willingness to participate in our internship practices interviews. The questions below are meant to offer a preview of our upcoming discussion. If possible, please take a moment to review them prior to our meeting time. The information you provide will be integrated into our proposal for developing standardized best practices and greater academic support for students engaged in experiential learning at Portland State University. We very much appreciate your contribution to this project.

Date of Interview: Name of Interviewee: Title: Institution: Name of Interviewer: Name of Notetaker:

ORGANIZATION and ADMINISTRATION 1. Describe your role as it relates to internships. 2. What is the administrative structure for supporting internships at your university? i.e.:

Who within your institution is responsible for advising and supervising internship experiences? How did this structure evolve?

2a. Tell us the number of staff dedicated to internship programming; who do they report to?

3. How are your administrative (or faculty) internship support positions funded? (General budget? Student fees? Career center budget?) If it’s by department budget, is each department responsible for the administration of its own internships?

3a. If funding is departmentbased, describe any challenges to equal access to internships.

4. Does your institution have a general affiliation agreement you use for intern sites?

5. What’s going well? Would you recommend any improvements to the structure or funding?

6. Can students earn academic credit for internships? If so,

a. What is the process for obtaining credit how is credit granted, and who is it granted by?

b. Does your institution have an established internship work to credithourearned ratio? e.g., 3 hours/wk. for 10 weeks = 1 credit or 12 hours/wk. for 10 weeks = 4 credit

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c. How does your institution evaluate total number of hours a student spends on internship work, meaning the number of hours worked at the internship site and number of hours spent on internship assignments?

7. What other experiential learning opportunities does your institution offer students for credit? How are they defined and what are the distinctions between them?

coop practicum research field work other

8. Please describe your institution’s policies and best practices regarding the ethical and legal considerations around internships.

STUDENT SUPPORT

9. How do students at your institution learn about internship opportunities? Email listservs Faculty Announcements Bulletin Board Advisers Social Media Other

10. What kind of support is offered for your students who are seeking, preparing for, or participating in internships (e.g.: internship or career development classes, individual advising, online support).

11. What’s working well/what might you improve in your programming to prepare students?

UNIVERSITYEMPLOYER RELATIONSHIPS

12. Does your institution work directly with employers to develop internships opportunities for your students?

13. Is there collaboration with other departments regarding the development and maintenance of employer partner relationships? If so, please describe.

14. How do you develop longstanding relationships/partnerships with internship host organizations?

15. How does your institution work with employers to support students during their internship?

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FACULTY INVOLVEMENT 16. In what ways are faculty involved in experiential learning or internships? (for instance by

teaching courses, granting credit, advising students before or during internships, either individually or in groups, supervising internships.)

17. Some programs require internships. In areas or departments where internships are not

required, at what level are faculty involved? EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT 18. Does your institution track and/or assess community partnerships related to internship

opportunities across departments? What are the specific tools you use? 19. Do you assess the effectiveness/success of your internship programming? How?

18a. Do you track graduation rates of students who have completed internships? 20. Do you have any further thoughts or have we missed anything else you would like to

share?

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G. Comparator Institution Scalable Practices

Organization & Structure

Practice Institution 6 Description of Practice(s)

Centralized jobs database managed by career services

IUPUI, FIU Job postings are pushed out to specific colleges

Centralized career and internship office collaborates with internship coordinators within departments

BYU, Pitt Staffing Structures: Internship Director chairs Internship

Advisory Committee; is also a half time faculty appointment

BYU employers ~80 Internship faculty/staff Coordinators

Decentralized career services within departments; no central office Closest thing to a centralized office is the Exploratory Program: offers career exploration programs in the 1st & 2nd years

IUPUI Approximately 40 full time staff provide career services to some extent

Has led to inequitable access to career services in departments that do not offer those resources

Feels the need for a centralized hub for internships and to coordinate internship councils

Online training module must be completed by advisers/faculty to supervise oncampus internships

Pitt Mandated by Pitt’s legal staff

Hybrid model: 36 internship staff work on three different campuses

FIU Liaison model with staff in business, engineering, hospitality programs, and a satellite campus

Has an 8 person employer relations team in central office

Centralized internship staff also support employers and students

Some departments offer internship classes

SDSU

6 IUPUI (Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis); FIU (Florida International University); BYU (Brigham Young University); Pitt (University of Pittsburgh); SDSU (San DIego State University); UC (University of Cincinnati)

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https://intern.byu.edu/sites/intern.byu.edu/files/files/CoordinatorContactInfo.pdf




Student Support & Curriculum Integration

Classes (online & on campus) Internship Prep Program (combination of workshops and individual appointments)

Pitt Students must meet checklist of requirements (e.g. class standing, attend workshops & appointments) to be eligible for program

Students can track their participation and progress online

Offers 0 credit internship course; students don’t pay for course

IUPUI Course helps staff track number of internships being completed

Academic Internship Program: students from majors that don’t require coops or internships can enroll. Taught by adjuncts who are trained by central career office

UC Two options for academic credit: 2term sequence: 1st term on

campus, includes professional development, resume, search strategies; 2nd term is the internship plus online course with learning modules (3 credit hours)

Students who find own internship can take online course with learning module

Internships are evaluated within departments

FUI Includes completion of learning contract, associated assignments, and grading (pass/fail), employer vetting

Maintains internships listserv SDSU Promote opportunities to and coordinates trainings with internship coordinators

Internship Handbook for Departmentlevel Internship Coordinators

BYU Provides comprehensive information to internship staff on University guidelines and internship best practices

EmployerUniversity Partnerships

Major or departmentspecific job & internship fairs

BYU

Uses streamlined, single site contract (affiliation agreement) with employers

SDSU Cal State’s Chancellor’s put out an Executive Order that all unpaid internships must be in a class and have service learning agreement; while each department must vet unpaid internships.

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http://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/CDPA/prepprogram

https://pitt2.collegiatelink.net/





Office of Engagement informs community of its services

SDSU Full time job/internship developer works with employers (SDSU)

Alumni Association program “Aztecs Hiring Aztecs”

SDSU Specific marketing program targeting alumni employers for mentoring, internships, and career opportunities

Two staff dedicated to vetting employers (internships/ethical practices)

FUI

Provides “potential experience provider packet” tailored to specific department’s partnership development (can be either industry or academic specific)

BYU

Uses industry clusters approach to identifying employers within the region

UC

Faculty Involvement

Comprehensive Internship Handbook used by Internship Coordinators to promote internships to faculty

BYU Posts internship success stories on faculty boards

Classroom presentations on internships

Develops departmentspecific internship website with info for faculty

Includes internships as option in course catalog

There is an internship contact for each department (⅔ of these are faculty lecturers)

SDSU, BYU

Two thirds of majors offer internship classes

Internship coordinator (in central office) hosts IExchange faculty lunch series (8 per year)

SDSU Coordinator has created an internship learning community; members include internship coordinators and associate professors

Adjunct faculty teach two term sequence for internship course

UC

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http://www.sdsualumni.org/s/997/index.aspx?sid=997&gid=1&pgid=3437

